Monthly Archives: January 2015

[Ed: Sorry for the late notice on this one, readers – but still not too late if you want to get your application in!]

Applications to the Book, Music & Lyrics Workshop for the next intake of composers, lyricists and librettists (March 2015 term) will be accepted until 31st January 2015.

APPLYING: FIRST YEAR COMPOSER/ LYRICIST WORKSHOP

The workshop will accept between 20 and 30 members. You may apply as a composer, a lyricist or a composer/lyricist. Most composer/lyricists are encouraged to practice only the field in which they are stronger. Applicants must submit a CV and mp3s and lyric sheets for 2-3 contrasting songs (ballads, comedy, musical scenes, etc) with some indication of their dramatic context. If you are applying as a potential lyricist, you may submit lyrics only. All applicants will be expected to meet the facilitators to discuss submissions.

The workshop will accept between 6-10 new members to the group. Applicants must submit a CV and 2 scenes of up to 10 pages each in length, one of which should be comedic (this is not to mean that they have to be ‘laugh-out-loud funny’) and the other a contrast to this. Interviews may follow. Send your application to admin@bookmusicandlyrics.com.

FEES

For the Composer/Lyricists workshop: Each successful candidate will be expected to commit to the entire year’s programme.

The fee structure is £175 for each 16 week term. For those in proven financial need, it is possible to apply to the BML board for a bursary.

OTHER INFORMATION AND CRITERIA

Any writer or composer from around the country, who can fund his or her own transport, is welcome to apply.

Disabled writers are also welcome. We are not currently meeting in a fully accessible facility, nor do we have, at this point, the funding to guarantee signers or support workers. However, we will be happy to make accommodations and raise additional funds for these needs as necessary, so please feel free to apply.

The workshops are held in central London. Contact hours are weekly for a two-hour session. The Choreographers’ workshop is held at the Musical Theatre Academy and runs in blocks of weekly sessions across the year.

The Bruntwood Prize – the biggest playwriting competition in the UK – has been launched, so time to get your scripts ready before the June deadline!

The Bruntwood Prize is a competition managed by The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. It’s open to playwrights across the UK. The prize has a comprehensive website, featuring everything from submission guidelines, to writing inspiration, to FAQ, to pointers from past winners. Be sure to make use of this resource before submitting!

What to submit: An original, unperformed full-length play. Only one submission per writer will be accepted. The play must not be under consideration by any other theatre (or under consideration by another competition). Note that plays MUST be submitted under a pseudonym – see website for full details.

What you win* [UPDATED]: The prize fund is £40,000 for the judges to distribute at their discretion. (We contacted the organisers of the prize to check!) Normally, the winner receives £16,000, and there are also be three Judges’ Awards of £8,000 each, however it could be broken into four equal prizes of £10,000, it’s up to the judges! No production is guaranteed, but all winners will have the opportunity to begin a relationship with the Royal Exchange, with a view to production. In past years, the top 100 plays have received a feedback report, but this has not been confirmed for this year.

Deadline: 5 June 2015 at 6pm (*Note: one place on the website says 5pm, but this seems to be old information)

Big Light Productions is an independent drama production
company and they are currently seeking experienced Script Editors
to expand their growing team. You will work in close conjunction
with the writers to provide editorial and research support. You’ll
be advising on all script matters connected with all stages of the
projects.

You will have at least 5 years experience with a proven editorial
record. You will have the experience and judgement to make and
track script amendments, working proficiently using Final Draft.
You will have a passion for drama and an awareness of emerging
writing talent.

Join award-winning playwright Phil Porter for a practical workshop to explore what makes a play theatrical, how to create truly theatrical imagery through your writing and ways to capture and push the audience’s imagination.

To accompany this online workshop, they will be providing handouts, which will be available to view on the website soon.

Phil Porter is a playwright, screenwriter and librettist. He was a winner of the 2005 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting for The Cracks in My Skin. His plays include The Christmas Truce (Royal Shakespeare Company), Blink (Soho Theatre / Nabokov), The Cracks In My Skin (Manchester Royal Exchange), Here Lies Mary Spindler (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Stealing Sweets And Punching People (Theatre 503 and Off-Broadway). He adapted Hungarian playwright Janos Hay’s The Stonewatcher for The National Theatre and edited Middleton’s A Mad World, My Masters and Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Pericles for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also written several plays for young people. These include Cinderella and The Flying Machine (Unicorn) and Smashed Eggs (Pentabus, Brian Way award). Collaborations with composer Martin Ward include The Whale Savers (W11 Opera 2009), Doctor Quimpugh (Petersham Playhouse), Skitterbang Island (Polka) and Pinocchio (Royal Opera House / BBC4). Current projects include a new play for Plymouth Theatre Royal.

The first BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum call – FOR TV DRAMA SCRIPTSopened on the 19 Jan. Many of last year’s winners have been signed by agents, had major broadcast commissions, as well as dramatising work for radio – more of that later in the year. Because of industry demand to know who has been selected – this year we will be publishing who made it onto the long-list for each call.

To help writers out with the application process, they’ve added a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page to our website – have a read of this before you send in your submissions. They should help answer any burning questions!

What to submit: Check their Terms & Conditions for full guidelines. They ask that writers prepare the following materials:

A complete electronic email entry form via the Application Form

Proof of payment such as like PayPal

Industry relevant biography (100 words). It can say ‘This is my first script’ – we love discovering new talent. This should be on a single page with your name and application number.

Short synopsis – 25 words

Treatment or outline of the film (300 words max)

Character breakdown of featured characters (50-100 words per character)

Up to 6 episode guides: min 3 max 6 (30-50 words per episode)

Introduction to extract that sets the scene (100 words)

10 page extract of the script (you may spill onto the 11th page to end a scene), typed and formatted to industry standards. Script pages should be numbered 1-10. Do not send full scripts.

Script extracts should be typed and follow standard script format. For information on formats, we recommend you look at BBC Writersroom.

No personal details to appear on materials except on biography page. The application number should appear on support material should be no more than 2.5 to 3 pages (excluding biography) and arranged in the following order: Biography, Logline, Treatment, Episode Guides, Character Breakdown, Introduction, Script.

How to apply:

APPLICATION FORM: Fill in an online application form which generates your application number.

APPLICATION NUMBER – a ten digit application number is emailed to the address listed. If you don’t receive an email within 30 mins, please email scripts@rocliffe.com

PAY ONLINE: Using the dropdown menu for the required entry fee and enter your submission – or Send a CHEQUE to Rocliffe Ltd.

SEND: By the appropriate deadline postal / hand delivered entry by 17.00 or electronic entry by midnight on final date.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ENTRIES WILL BE EMAILED ONE WEEK AFTER EACH DEADLINE TO THE MAIN WRITER.

Forward these with your email entry form, and attach your submission materials. Send as a single email to esubmissions@rocliffe.com (all documents as pdfs). Script and Support material ordered as per YOUR ENTRY may be combined into a single document with the script extract attached separately. Name your documents with your Application Number and support materials or script.

The deadline for Early Bird submissions is the 31 January and the Final deadline for this competition is the 28 February. The ten page extract must be either a television screenplay or an episode from an original series on any subject or genre, but must reflect the diversity in society. Get writing!

Fee: The early bird entry fee is £6, and the regular fee is £11 for hard copies (posted or hand delivered); it costs an addition £10 to submit by email, to cover their printing costs. They charge one submission fee per script. There is no maximum submission per writer, however each submission will incur an entry fee.

Playwright April de Angelis leads this playwriting masterclass, based on Tena Štivičić’s play, 3 Winters. Through group discussion and writing exercises participants examine what makes the play work – structure, character, themes and language – as well as the role of women in the play. The session asks how the playwright uses these representations to make meaning in the world of the play. This event is ideal for anyone interested in the craft of playwriting.

You will need to see 3 Winters in advance of the event: recommended dates are 29, 30 or 31 January.

Battersea Arts Centre’s have announced that applications are now open for Freshly Scratched, which will take place over four evenings between the 30th March and 2nd April:

Freshly Scratched offers a real opportunity for emerging artists who have never worked with BAC to get involved in a vital aspect of our programme. The Freshly Scratched evenings enable artists to present bite size pieces of work in its early stages, to meet other emerging artists, and to receive feedback on their work from audiences and BAC producers.

They are really keen to collect applications from a diverse range of applicants, and would love for as many people to hear about this opportunity as possible.

What to submit: They are looking for pieces of no longer than 10 minutes that ‘push the boundaries of the art form.’ (Please note that this is a scratch performance, and they are looking for performances of works in progress, not script submissions.)

How to apply: More information about this opportunity and details of how to apply can be found on the website here: freshly scratched call out

(This opportunity is from a message posted in the Playwriting UK Facebook group.)

Christian A. Graham is rebooting New Prose, three nights of rehearsed readings. New Prose will be taking place on March 6th, 7th and 8th in East London.

What to submit/How to apply: If you have any theatre material around 20-25mins that you want to see on its feet in front of an audience then get in touch for more info. All submissions should go to christian3dgraham@hotmail.co.uk.

In this workshop, Soho Theatre’s resident composer Greg Harradine explores the questions: What is music’s role within a play? How do writers and composers work together? What is the relationship between music and drama?

Bring your imagination, something to write with, and be prepared to collaborate! This workshop will be held in the Seminar Room on the third floor.